The justification for denying workers rights they would otherwise have was the extreme importance of moving essential goods. We're not going to have famines if SpaceX has a month long strike.
Edit to say - that's probably a long way off / not likely
But Ukrainian soldiers can and will die on the battlefield if Starlink has issues. We already know that it is vital for the Russians because their battle plans fell apart once SpaceX, the US and the Ukrainian government finally introduced a whitelist for terminals allowed to connect on Ukrainian soil. And SpaceX IIRC also operates a separate Starlink system for the US military.
This didn't pose an issue in the past because the DoD ran stuff on its own, no third party companies required... but heh, privatization rules...
SpaceX is one of the few companies left that China isn't able to copy.
Or because SpaceX is run by someone who doesn't care if his workers die, is a Covid denying crank and has connections in the Trump admin?
> The filing also disputed SpaceX’s argument that it is a “carrier by air transporting mail for or under contract with the United States Government.” Evidence presented by SpaceX shows only that it carried SpaceX employee letters to the crew of the International Space Station and “crew supplies provided for by the US government in its contracts with SpaceX to haul cargo to the ISS,” the filing said. “They do not show that the government has contracted with SpaceX as a ‘mail carrier.’”
> SpaceX’s argument “is rife with speculation regarding its plans for the future,” the ex-employees’ attorneys told the NMB. “One can only surmise that the reason for its constant reference to its future intent to develop its role as a ‘common carrier’ is the lack of current standing in that capacity.” The filing said Congress would have to add space travel to the Railway Labor Act’s jurisdiction in order for SpaceX to be considered a common carrier.
SpaceX is not a mail carrier or common carrier by any means. It is executing contracts for launches. And comparing it to railroads and classifying it similarly is also unethical. Railroad workers have been grossly abused by companies like BNSF, with terrible working conditions and pay and little ability to push back.
Finally, the fact that the Trump administration would apply this to all of SpaceX, including Twitter, is also insane.
Sure historically you could probably take educated guesses with a little homework on PAC donations, etc.. as to how different CEOs voted. And occasionally they took (or more often, they would allow their company PR department to take) stands on the social issues on the day.
But we are in entirely uncharted waters the last 2 years of CEOs going all-in fanboying, actively campaigning for, debasing themselves with political swag, and enabling the grifting of the current administration. In some cases we have wild eyed conspiracy theory posting and accusations of treason/disloyalty/whatever against the other party by said CEOs (and VC bros).
Insanely, many of these CEOs run companies where the US government is one of their main customers. Eventually the parties rotate, and these guys have opened themselves up to a large backlash.
They're counting on this not happening.
Airlines are under the Railway Labor Act because Congress put them there in 1932, and they are almost totally unionized.
[1] https://nmb.gov/NMB_Application/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/R...
If it isn't, then voters should vote for the opposite policy--allowing the airlines to stop working whenever they want.
I don't think this is an interesting take for anyone, but this reminds me of how the nineteenth century American political system was called the spoils system, and this seems like a twenty first century echo of that.
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."
> SpaceX quickly fired the employees, with President Gwynne Shotwell explaining in an email to the remaining staff that the “letter, solicitations and general process made employees feel uncomfortable, intimidated and bullied, and/or angry because the letter pressured them to sign onto something that did not reflect their views.”
> “Blanketing thousands of people across the company with repeated unsolicited emails and asking them to sign letters and fill out unsponsored surveys during the work day is not acceptable,” Shotwell wrote to SpaceX staff. The fired employees filed charges with the NLRB in November 2022.
Let's set aside whether or not you like Mr. Musk at all. Personally I think saying he's been a "frequent source of embarrassment" is being generous to him. And also set aside whether it is or isn't "like an airline" or whatever. Just to speak of the complaint itself, does it strike anyone else as absurd? If I start circulating messages to thousands of my coworkers that "Mr. CEO is an embarrassment and terrible, sign my petition blah blah blah" I would not think it unfair that that same guy stops signing my paychecks. What am I missing here about US "labor laws"? I know you're protected from retaliation when you are whistleblowing, reporting harassment, etc. -- but these people's problem seems to just be that they hate their CEO (but still claim to want to work for him).
ronsor•2h ago
delichon•1h ago
stonogo•1h ago
delichon•1h ago
https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/nlrb-general-counsel-wants...
https://www.hunton.com/hunton-employment-labor-perspectives/...
Maxatar•1h ago